Roy, Trail Blazers escape in close shave over Grizzlies

Feb 19, 2009 - 6:59 AM
PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- Brandon Roy has gotten used to
coming up big in the fourth quarter. He did it again on
Wednesday.

The two-time All-Star scored seven points in the final 4 1/2
minutes, including a pair of game-clinching free throws with
three seconds on the clock, to lead the Portland Trail Blazers
to a 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I felt like I was in good rhythm, but we didn't quit," Roy
said. "We know one more win, one more step closer to where
we're trying to get."

Memphis, which has now dropped three straight, kept it close for
most of the contest, but couldn't quite keep up. Rudy Gay's
free throw with 4:50 to play gave the Grizzlies a two-point
edge, but the Blazers responded with five straight points. Roy
buried a jumper, drained a technical free throw and assisted on
Travis Outlaw's bucket to put Portland back on top.

"Nothing is going to be easy, we've got to play hard," Roy said.
"That's the only way we're gonna get to be a playoff team."

With the Grizzlies back to within two and 1:23 on the clock, Roy
cut inside and dropped in a layup. Memphis came away empty on
its next two possessions, but Portland returned the favor and
the Grizzlies finally got back on the board with O.J. Mayo's
jumper with five seconds remaining.

Forced to intentionally foul, the Grizzlies snagged Roy
immediately after an inbounds pass, but the Blazers' star sank
both foul shots to put the game away.

"I don't know if it was turnovers or anything, but they just
made plays," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We took the
lead and they came back and made a big play. We missed a couple
shots and that's just the game of basketball. You're proud that
you're in the game and have a chance to win."

Roy finished with 24 points and nine assists.

Earlier in the night, the Blazers looked like they could run
away with it as they engineered a 20-5 run in the second quarter
to seize control. Travis Outlaw kicked things off with four
straight points and Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez followed
with consecutive 3-pointer to push the lead into double digits.

Mayo responded with a 3-pointer of his own, but the Blazers
continued to pile on. They capped the spurt in style, as Roy
found Fernandez streaking to the basket for a dunk to extend the
lead to 50-34.

"Our guys, I thought we had a lot of energy the first half,"
Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "The second half, that second
win just never came for us. But defensively we were able to
hold, and eventually win the game."

However, Portland lost that momentum almost as quickly as it had
taken it. The Grizzlies stormed back in the waning minutes of
the first half, closing the second quarter on a 13-3 run,
highlighted by a pair of buckets from Mayo - including one from
long range.

The Blazers pushed their lead back to nine in the third quarter,
but by the end of the period, it was a one-possession ballgame
again.

"Being our first game back, it took us a little bit to catch our
second win," Roy said. "We give them credit, they didn't quit."